Middle of the Night
by JM-1224
Summary: What will it take for Felicity and Oliver to have an honest conversation?


**A/N: First story ever published. Let me know what you think! **

* * *

The hazy moonlight streamed through the window in Oliver's room. Although it still didn't feel like his room. Thea's swanky apartment was hard to get used to knowing it was paid for by Malcolm's blood money.

Oliver rolled over to glance at the time, which was ticking toward two in the morning.

Sighing, he climbed out of bed. Obviously, he wouldn't be getting any sleep tonight. Just as he went to leave the room, he heard his phone buzz against the side table.

"Felicity? Why are you calling so late?"

Oliver could hear her quiet breathing on the other end of the line.

"Felicity?"

After a moment's hesitation, Felicity's voice reached his ears.

"Come outside."

Oliver's heart tightened at her words.

"Why –" Oliver had just started the question before he was met with the dial tone.

Anxiety settled over his entire body. His stomach churched as he turned and ran out the apartment. He took the stairs two at a time until he reached the ground floor. Oliver burst out the door to find Felicity standing on the other side of the street.

He froze on the sidewalk, the burning winds whipping around him. He could not bring his body to move, regardless of how hard he tried. The entire situation felt surreal, and he couldn't understand what was happening.

Breaking the cold silence was a loud crack. His brain scrambled to find the source of the noise when he saw Felicity fall to her knees.

"_Felicity!_"

* * *

Oliver screamed her name, his heart beating furiously in his chest. But he was no longer standing in the icy night. Instead, he looked down and saw his sheets twisted around his legs, sweat marking his shirt.

After a moment, as his heart slowed, Oliver understood it was just another dream. One he had been having for years, in some form or another. Yet lately, it seemed to star Felicity more often then not.

The dreams always felt so real. He shivered, trying to push the dream out of his mind. But it never truly left him.

Oliver readjusted his sheets, trying to get back to sleep. But when he closed his eyes, he was greeted with the sight of Felicity crumpling in front of him. But he hadn't had a good night sleep in weeks, and he was starting to suffer from it. Maybe if he just heard her voice and knew she was all right, he could sleep.

Before his better judgment could stop him, he reached for his phone and hit the speed dial that directed him to her.

Much to Oliver's surprise, Felicity picked up the phone after only two rings.

"Hello?

"Felicity? It's Oliver."

"I know, I have caller id," Felicity joked. "Is there something wrong? Why are you calling so late?

"Nothing's wrong, I'm sorry about waking you up."

"Don't apologize," Felicity retorted. "I'm having one of those nights where my brain won't turn off. All you interrupted was a particularly frustrating round of candy crush. So why did you call?"

"I just had a bad feeling, and I wanted to check on you." Oliver replied

There was a long pause.

"A bad feeling?" Felicity sounded skeptical, "Last time I checked, Oliver, you don't have spidey senses. And if you do, they're way off. Everything's fine. So why don't you tell me what's going on."

Oliver knew her well enough that she wouldn't let this go until she was satisfied.

"It was just a dream. I woke up a little shaken, and I thought if I made sure you were fine…I could go back to sleep. I'm really sorry," he explained.

He heard Felicity's breath intake sharply. She didn't respond immediately, which is how Oliver knew she was considering her words carefully. Felicity wasn't typically known for thinking before speaking.

"I could ask what the dream was about, but I think I could guess. Oliver, I'm glad that you called. I'm always going to be here for you."

"Sure."

The bitter word had slipped through his lips before he could stop it.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Felicity demanded.

Maybe it was because it was the middle of the night, and he was exhausted and shaken, but Oliver wanted to tell her the truth. He got tired of lying all the time.

"I saw you and Palmer the other night," Oliver admitted.

There was a shocked pause.

"Felicity, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything."

"No, no. Just…give me a second," Felicity said slowly.

Oliver waited quietly for a minute, his leg shaking nervously.

"Oliver…there is a lot I could say to that. We could talk about why you were there. We could talk about how Ray and I discussed it and decided to remain friends. But honestly…it's not really any of your business. A choice you made, by yourself I might add."

"I know –"

"And what do you expect from me?" Felicity continued quickly, as though she was about to lose her nerve. "I put my career, my entire life, on hold for two years. I became your assistant and I dealt with all the whispers that came with it. All because you asked me to. Then you let me believe that we could actually be something, just to take it away. I can't put my life on hold forever, Oliver. I need more than this."

"I know, and I'm grateful. But the decision I made was for you." Oliver interjected.

"No, it wasn't." Felicity sounded tired now.

"What? Of course it was."

"No, it really wasn't. It was for you." Oliver sounded like he wanted to interrupt, but Felicity soldiered on. "Oliver, if all you wanted was to protect me, I wouldn't be helping you at all. It working with you that would put me in danger, not being with you."

After hearing Oliver's silence, Felicity continued.

"Keeping me at arms length was so if something did happen, it wouldn't hurt as much. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying you don't care about me the way we are. But if we were together…it would be that much harder. And I don't think you're willing to risk it. Especially after Sara."

There was silence on both ends after she finished, Oliver thinking about what she'd said.

"Who knew you would be more articulate in the middle of the night."

Felicity laughed quietly at that.

"You're right about everything, except one. I am willing to risk it," Oliver said.

"Oliver…"

"Really, I am. That's why I was at your office that night. That's what I wanted to tell you," Oliver said.

"Please don't do this. Not unless you're actually ready. I don't want to be pushed away again, that's not fair to me," Felicity pleaded.

"That's not what I'm doing. You were right; both of our lives have been on hold. And it time to start moving forward again, and I want to do it with you." Oliver could only hope she believed him.

"Okay, Oliver. We can try."

The first genuine smile he had had in a long while stretched over his face.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. But this time I'm planning the date."

"Deal."


End file.
